//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Field Trip to Appleloosa // Story: A Mega Blast from the Past // by Mister E-Nonymous //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Field Trip to Appleloosa (Joshua's Point of View) Nyx, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Dinky and I were on a train to a place called Appleloosa. Twist couldn't make it because she was going to see her grandmother in Vanhoover. Applejack was going to Appleloosa for their annual rodeo since her cousin Braeburn was injured, and Apple Bloom invited all of us to watch Applejack during the rodeo. But I got a weird feeling that that was the only thing she wanted us there for. Just in case, Mommy had M.C. and Mutt come with us to make sure we didn't get into any trouble. We had all just arrived in town and saw a bunch of ponies training for the Rodeo. Apple Bloom ran up in front of us and asked, "Aren't you glad y'all came with me to see Applejack compete in the Appleloosa rodeo?" "Totally!" Scootaloo responded. "This place is a Cutie Mark gold mine!" We all then looked at the ponies practicing what they were doing. "There's barrel racing, roping contests, rodeo clowning, steeplechase..." Apple Bloom then turned around and faced us, saying, "If we can get into some of these events, we could all four, me, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Dinky, walk off the train back in Ponyville with brand spankin' new Cutie Marks!" "Wouldn't a barrel look good here?" Scootaloo asked, looking at her flank. "I want a lasso!" said Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle and Dinky looked over and saw one yellow pony wearing a vest and a cowboy hat, and his left forehoof in a sling and got a little nervous. "I don't know..." Sweetie Belle said. "All these events look a little, well, dangerous." "I agree," said Dinky. "I don't want to get hurt. You know how much my mom wants me safe." "No risk, no reward," said Apple Bloom. M.C. walked up to them and said, "Actually, Dinky and Sweetie Belle are right. It's very dangerous for young ponies to be in a rodeo. Especially if you're inexperienced." "How would you know about that?" Nyx asked. M.C. chuckled and said, "Tell 'em why, Josh." The girls, M.C. and Mutt looked over at me, and I responded with, "Back when M.C. was on my world, my parents took the four of us to a rodeo. M.C. thought it might be a little fun to enter the junior rodeo contest. He got on the most dangerous bull in the challenge, and it threw him off. Then the bull started chasing M.C., and he got chased into a barrel, and that barrel got rammed right into the area with all the other bulls. If it wasn't for his healing factor, those bulls would've seriously killed him. Or hospitalized him." "Whoo wee," said Applejack walking up to us. "That's actually a good reason why you fillies shouldn't be entering in a rodeo. Wait, you tried riding a bull?" "The only intelligent creatures on Earth were only humans," said M.C. "Before us Mobians accidentally ended up there." "And what made those bulls so angry?" Apple Bloom asked, cocking her head. "Rumors say that bulls hate the color red," M.C. said. "That's not true at all. Bulls are color blind to most colors. But not blue. It's really blue that make them mad. It was proven on that show, Mythbusters." "Alright, everypony, listen up!" came a voice. We all turned our heads towards a pony that looks like a sheriff, so he must be the sheriff of this town. "We need a big presence at this here rodeo, so make yourself plenty seen! I want that low-down varmint to know we mean business!" My friends, M.C. and Mutt were confused about that. "I hope nothing bad is going on," Sweetie Belle said, nervously. "A cutie mark-appaloosa and a low-down varmint? This is shapin' up to be the most excitin' rodeo ever!" said Apple Bloom. "Yeah, come on!" said Scootaloo, as she, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran off. "What did I just say?" M.C. asked, irritated. He then walked over towards the sheriff and asked, "What's the problem, officers?" The sheriff looked at M.C. and said, "Oh, I heard rumors of a bipedal fox wondering Equestria. Guess the rumors were true." "You bet they are," M.C. said to him. "And, repeating the question, what's the problem?" "Well, we got a big time varmint that'll be sabotaging the rodeo again," said the sheriff. "He's very dangerous, and causes trouble everywhere he goes. Every year, he sabotages the rodeo so nopony will compete. His name is Trouble Shoes. And he's a real menace to Appleloosa." "I have a feeling that there's more to the story about this guy," M.C. said to him. "The worst thing you would have to worry about is arresting a man for being a klutz without question." "No way," said the sheriff. "That would never happen." "It could happen," said M.C. "Some law enforcers just don't want to listen to the truth about what happened. Back in my time, a few innocent men were framed by a shapeshifter. Those kinds of cops were so much more bullheaded than an actual bull. Anyway, I'm gonna head off." He then walked up to the rest of us, and we headed off. (M.C.'s Point of View) That night, I had the kids put to bed. They were really excited about something. Mutt and I stayed behind in the guest house with Braeburn for extra precaution. I didn't hear any commotion in the room where Josh and the girls were staying, so I sneaked a peak inside, to find out that they were gone. "Uh oh," I said. I then walked over to Braeburn, and shook him awake. He then woke up, quickly shocked. "Braeburn, it's me. Bad news, dude." "What is it?" he asked me. "The kids are gone," I said to him. "WHAT?!" Braeburn shouted. "We gotta tell Applejack and the sheriff." "You go alert Applejack," I said to him. "Mutt and I will go find them." "Let's do this," said Mutt, putting his hat on. Then the three of us headed in different directions. It was pouring down hard, and Mutt and I followed the trail of Joshua and his friends. Luckily for me, with this self replicating nano-tech in my glove and the tracking devices I make with it, I'm able to track them with the tracking device I had installed in the locket around Joshua's neck. We were walking at a slow pace for Applejack and the authorities to follow. Just then, Applejack's voice called out, "Look! There's M.C. and Mutt!" We saw the group run up to us. I said to them, "I was wondering when you'd catch up." "Any sign of them?" Applejack asked. "Just their hoof prints," I said to them. "But, the tracking device I had put into Joshua's locket will lead us straight to them." "I wonder what is going on out there with them," said Mutt. "It's not like the tracking device has a microphone." "Oh, wait a minute, it does," I said in realization. I pushed a button on my right glove and said, "Activating monitor mode." As we were listening to what was going on, there was the sound of things crashing and yells of pain being called out. None of the yells of pain belonged to the fillies or Joshua. In fact, it sounded like a male grown up. "Trouble Shoes?" said the sheriff. "Those foals have been taken by Trouble Shoes. My guess is they're trying to escape and using whatever's around them as weapons." "Hello?" Apple Bloom asked from the tracking device. "You alright?" "Surely," came Trouble Shoes voice. "We didn't mean no harm," Apple Bloom said apologetically. "We just came in here to get out of the rain." "Had some hot apple cider a-cookin' in the kitchen," said Trouble Shoes. "Doubt it survived." Then a clank sound went off as he finished that sentence. "I ain't gonna rise to greet y'all. Awfully rude, I reckon, but as you can see, I'm the fresh casualty of an unusual circumstance. My lot in life." "Are you Trouble Shoes?" Joshua asked. "That's me," said Trouble Shoes. "Actually, by the looks of what was going on, you seem to be klutzy than... what's the word?" Joshua asked, snapping his fingers. "Destructive?" Dinky asked. "Yeah, that's it," said Joshua. "I agree with my brother and Dinky," said Nyx. "Are you really klutzy, and accidentally ruined the rodeo?" "It's true," said Trouble Shoes after sighing. "When I was a colt, I wanted to be a rodeo star somethin' fierce, but I just didn't seem to have the knack for it. I practiced and practiced... And finally, I wrangled up the guts to audition for rodeo school. Right in the middle of that tryout, I knew I was doin' what I was meant to. And wouldn't you know it? In a flash comes this here cutie mark. And that's how everythin' took a turn for the worst. As you can see, my Cutie Mark is of a horseshoe with the ends facing down. And you know what that means. Bad luck. I can still remember them judges a-laughin'. Didn't even finish my routine 'cause right then I knew bad luck was my fate. That fire for rodeo never did leave me, though. Couldn't keep away from 'em. So I'd sneak down and have a look, and wouldn't you know it? Bad luck would strike again. Just my lot in life, I reckon..." "Wait a minute," I said. "Trouble Shoes wanted to be in the rodeo?" "He did sound like a klutz from the way he was telling his story," said Mutt. "Y'all are right," said Applejack. "Which means..." "He wasn't sabotaging the rodeo," said M.C. "He was wanting to watch it, but he was too much of a klutz and almost ruined the rodeo by accident." We all then looked at the sheriff, and he grinned nervously. I then pushed a button on my glove and spoke into it. "Well, Trouble Shoes, you might as well get the entertainment you were wanting," I said into my glove. "Where did that voice come from? asked Trouble Shoes. "It sounded like it was coming from Josh's chest," said Scootaloo. "I'm projecting my voice through a tracking device I installed in Joshua's locket," I said. "By the way, we heard everything since the crashing before you checked on him." "So, you're not going to arrest Trouble Shoes?" Nyx asked. "No, but y'all are going to be in trouble for sneakin' out of the house," Applejack said. "C'mon, let's go and get 'em." "Yeah," I said. Then I had an idea. "Wait a minute. I think I know of a way that Trouble Shoes might be a part of the rodeo." The next day, during the Rodeo, the huge stallion known as Trouble Shoes was in the rodeo, as a rodeo clown. Everyone was laughing at him, saying he was the best rodeo clown they had ever. The Sheriff dropped all charges on Trouble Shoes, and allowed him to perform in every rodeo. And as for the kids, they were still in trouble, and their punishment was to clean up all of the mess in the rodeo. It was actually Applejack's idea. Anyway, our trip to Appleloosa was pretty good. No more trouble here.